Author Lori Duron's new memoir, "Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son," tells the story of her youngest son, C.J., "a boy who likes girl stuff," from clothes to toys.
How a gender-creative child sees himself —
Author Lori Duron's new memoir, "Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son," tells the story of her youngest son, C.J., "a boy who likes girl stuff," from clothes to toys.
Courtesy Lori Duron
C.J. is a boy, but usually draws himself as a girl, as he did in this self-portrait. Around this time, he drew himself as a boy at school for the first time, which surprised his parents. "He did it to adapt and conform. He did it to hide his true self," Duron wrote on her blog, <a href="http://raisingmyrainbow.com/2012/09/19/my-son-draws-himself-as-a-girl/" target="_blank" target="_blank">RaisingMyRainbow.com</a>. "It felt like he had lost some of his innocence."
How a gender-creative child sees himself —
C.J. is a boy, but usually draws himself as a girl, as he did in this self-portrait. Around this time, he drew himself as a boy at school for the first time, which surprised his parents. "He did it to adapt and conform. He did it to hide his true self," Duron wrote on her blog, RaisingMyRainbow.com. "It felt like he had lost some of his innocence."
Courtesy Lori Duron
C.J. made a long-haired version of himself -- the paper farmer in the middle -- during "Going To The Farm" week in kindergarten.
How a gender-creative child sees himself —
C.J. made a long-haired version of himself -- the paper farmer in the middle -- during "Going To The Farm" week in kindergarten.
Courtesy Lori Duron
In kindergarten, C.J. created a paper version of himself with "red hair and luscious lashes." His project is in the lower left corner.
How a gender-creative child sees himself —
In kindergarten, C.J. created a paper version of himself with "red hair and luscious lashes." His project is in the lower left corner.
Courtesy Lori Duron
C.J., now a first-grader, drew a hummingbird in art camp this summer. "He'll tell you that his favorite subjects at school are playing on the playground with his friends and doing crafts," Duron wrote. "It's the academic portion of school that he struggles with sometimes."
How a gender-creative child sees himself —
C.J., now a first-grader, drew a hummingbird in art camp this summer. "He'll tell you that his favorite subjects at school are playing on the playground with his friends and doing crafts," Duron wrote. "It's the academic portion of school that he struggles with sometimes."
Courtesy Lori Duron